Hempfield SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
REACHING MORE THAN 10,110 HOMES
Hempfield Is Home to Worldwide Nonprofit
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12th-grade schools, he said. BCM International holds camps and Bible clubs in L ancaster County. “We look at each culture and each country and ask what it needs,” Rhoads said. “We look around here and say, ‘There’s endless amounts of churches. There’s no need for another church here.’ But there is a need for camps that can service churches and strengthen the church. There’s also a need for Bible clubs where we can connect to children for schools. That’s what we do primarily here in the states.” In the past year, BCM International has expanded to Ecuador, See Nonprofit pg 4
See Comedy pg 3
BCM International president Rick Rhoads oversaw the group’s move to Mountville. Photo by George Deibel
centered on the work of Jesus in the New Testament and disciple-making principles,” Rhoads said. “Our passion is all about making disciples, empowering leaders who in turn can go make other disciples. At the end of the day, we have almost 17,000 workers, so it’s one of the larger Christian organizations on the planet. But we’re tucked in here in Lancaster County as the home base.” BCM International’s primary focus is on reaching children. Second is strengthening the church. BCM International also has orphanages, provides disaster relief services, and offers kindergarten through
A Killer Comedy To Die For Any writer knows the pressure of a deadline, but for the writers featured in the cast of “Deadline,” that pressure can kill - literally. Encore! Home School Productions will present “Deadline,” a murder-mystery comedy by Don Zolidis, at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 24 and 25, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 26. The show will be performed at The Junction Center, 1875 Junction Road, Manheim. “‘Deadline’ is about eight mystery writers who are invited to a mysterious writing retreat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, in a mansion on a small island,” shared Elijah Smith, a senior who portrays Carswell in the show. “When they arrive, they’re told to craft the perfect murder.” The writers all think if they write the best murder mystery, they’ll get published, but the truth is a bit more sinister, Elijah said. “They’re told to kill one of their fellow writers, and if they can get away with it, they’ll receive book deal,” he explained. “However, if someone else solves the murder, they would get the book deal, and so on.” Even though murder is at the heart of the show, the production is a comedy, he said. “It’s really funny. It’s a great, enjoyable time,” he shared. “A lot of the jokes are more for an older audience, but I think younger kids will have a good time with it as well.” Along with Elijah, the cast features Paul Meo as Dellacroix, Grace Miller as Deborah, Jeremiah Evans as Gregor y, Cambria Brinton as Penelope, Talia McCaffrey as Vampetta,
BY GEORGE DEIBEL
nonprofit organization with a global reach has its headquarters in Hempfield. On Sept. 24, BCM International (Bible-Centered Ministries) offices moved from Granite Run to Estelle Drive in Mountville. “We’re in what I call a growth season in the organization and adding ke y team memb ers ,” president Rick Rhoads said. “We outgrew the space we had. There’s good stuff happening.” BCM International is a faithbased nongovernment organization (NGO) that seeks to reach children and strengthen churches globally in 56 countries, Rhoads said. Through camping ministry, orphanages, schools, disaster relief, and church ministry, BCM International serves approximately 3.5 million people on a yearly basis. “BCM International was the original Bible club movement and started 89 years ago in Philadelphia,” said Rhoads, who has been the group’s president for three years. It was founded by Bessie Traber, who was a missionary to the Philippines. “Home on furlough, she was working with some children, and a child asked her what she did in the Philippines,” said Rhoads. “She told him, and then he said, ‘Why can’t you do that here?’ And that’s how it started.” Rhoads noted that in 89 years, BCM International has become involved with 56 countries and has 42 camps in 32 countries, as well as 5,000 churches, including ones in India, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar, as well as all throughout Africa. “Our churches and our camp ministries, like all of our ministries, are
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